Second Chances: What's Right Is Not Always Fair
by jtbwriter
Summary: In the midst of preparing for a new baby, A.J. is forced into accepting Jury Duty for a murder trial.rnWhen he and Rick suspect the wrong man is on trial, hard choices must be made. Rated "T" just in case.
1. Default Chapter

Second Chances: What's Right Is Not Always Fair

In the midst of preparing for a new baby, A.J. is forced into accepting Jury Duty for a murder trial. When he and Rick suspect the wrong man is on trial, hard choices must be made.

(This is a fictional story, and no money is being made from it. The characters from Simon & Simon and Six Million Dollar Man are owned by Universal Studios and are only being borrowed for a little while, I promise to put them back when I'm done.)

"Mom, you still make the best chicken, bar none!" A.J. Simon looked at his mother, then laughed as his wife pretended to pout.

"Serve you right if I let you live on baloney sandwiches for the next week!" Linda teased, then turned to Cecilia. "Good thing I agree, I just can't get my chicken to taste like that."

"It's the rice flour, honey. I'm leaving the rest of the bag with you, the kids chicken nuggets will taste better with it!" Cecilia promised, then shook her finger at her older son as he snuck another drumstick.

"Richard Simon, it would serve you right if Linda didn't give you dessert! I'm going to tell Rudy on you!"

"Aw, Mom, can I help it Simon women are good cooks!" he leaned over then dropped a kiss on her cheek.

"Where's Laurie, I thought she was leaving Robin and Ian's an hour ago." Linda said, a slight frown on her face. Just then the doorbell rang, and Rick went for the door, "I've got it!"

A.J. shook his head. "You'd think she's been gone a few days, instead of a few hours, Mom."

Just then his beaming brother returned holding his wife's hand, and A.J. promptly got up to give her a hug.

"Here's my wandering lamb, just in time for dinner." Rick grinned, as Laurie embraced her mother-in-law and Linda.

"Sorry I'm late, but Ian was showing me what he wants to get Robin for Christmas. Oh, Mom, this tastes so good.." she took a bite of the drumstick Rick held out for her to sample.

"You're lucky, if I hadn't stopped him, Rick would have eaten every piece." Cecilia laughed.

"Oh, A.J., I almost forgot, you got a letter from the Grand Jury today." Linda remembered, then handed the white envelope to her husband.

Snickering as he watched Rick filling Laurie's glass with soda, then getting a kiss for his thoughtfulness, A.J. opened the oversized envelope.

At first he thought it was the usual questionnaire, ready for his "unable to serve because" answer.

Then the younger Simon blinked, biting back a swear word.

"Oh, for crying out loud."

"What's the matter, A.J., you forgot to send back your form I bet." Rick needled him, then dropped his ragging as he saw the worried expression on his brother's face.

"I've been picked for Jury Duty; in two weeks." A.J. replied. Immediately his mood was matched by Linda's.

"A.J., that's the time I'm due, they'll have to let you reschedule." She said, upset.

Quickly he tried to reassure her. "Of course, I'll have them postpone my service until after Christmas, Linny. Don't worry, I haven't missed one of our children's births yet!" he promised.

Doubtfully his pregnant wife shook her head. "A.J., you know how they've cracked down on Jury service, you can't use financial hardship or …"

A.J. got up and put his arms around her as he winked at his mother. "I have the best excuse, my wife is bringing another life into the world, and I have to be there."

All three women started to tear up, to the brothers' dismay.

"Way to go, A.J., now you've got them crying." Rick groused, then Laurie pretended to swat him as Linda wiped her eyes, then kissed her husband.

"I know you'll be there, honey, you've never let me down, ever. Just for that you can have the last piece of chicken, I hid it with the biscuits."

Snickering, A.J. kissed Linda back as Cecilia teased her older son, "And you thought you'd get the last one."

Rick shrugged. "There's always dessert." He replied with a grin.


	2. Chapter 1

"I'm sorry, Mr. Simon. Your wife's pregnancy isn't a good enough excuse. You are expected to go through the selection process like everyone else."

A.J. seethed at the clerk's obstinate face. "I'm asking only to postpone my service, I can't concentrate on something like this knowing my wife could go into labor any time."

"Ordinarily that could be arranged, sir. But you have asked out of service too many times. You may, of course, speak to the judge at the beginning of the trial. The circumstances may make a difference at that time." At that A.J. wanted to protest further, but a familiar voice stopped him.

"Mr. Simon?"

He turned around, then forced a smile on his face. "Your Honor."

Judge Mason stood before him, gravely observing him. "Is there a problem?"

A.J. swallowed hard, but stood his ground. "Yes, sir. I've been selected for jury duty, but my wife is due to have our child during the time I'm scheduled. All I'm asking is to postpone service until after the baby is born."

There was a moment of silence, then the older man spoke.

"If you are selected for the jury, it can be arranged for you to leave when your wife goes into labor. Make sure you leave emergency numbers with her and her doctor. I'm sorry, Mr. Simon, but the courts need people of your caliber to serve."

"Thank you, sir." A.J. managed to respond politely, then nodded at both the clerk and the jurist as he left the room.

Standing outside, Rick saw the disappointment in his brother's posture even before he came outside.

"A.J., what happened?" he asked, then he grew angry as A.J. related the attitude of the clerk then Judge Mason's statement.

"Damn it, A.J., it's not fair. We'll just have to hope you don't get picked, or that Linda has the baby before you're called." Rick blustered. "I don't mind closing the office for the baby, but that's not right!"

Surprisingly, A.J. smiled.

"Rick, thanks for getting so worked up, but…, I'm going to have to figure out how to handle this if I'm forced into a jury. Thank God sis is working with Linda, that's one thing I won't have to worry about. I'm going to have to have you on hand just in case…"

"Listen, if you mean getting her to the hospital and making sure she and the kids are taken care of, don't worry. Let's just concentrate on you and Linda and the baby." Rick added, putting an arm around his little brother.

Over the next week, Rick did his best to reassure both A.J. and Linda that everything was going to be all right. As the date for A.J. to report to the Grand Jury room approached, Laurie tried to relieve her sister-in-law's anxiety.

The day before jury selection started, Laurie was directing Linda through her exercises at the Cultural Center.

"Okay, sis, pretend it's time for really hard contractions, then ….make like a puffer fish." Laurie took in two deep breaths, then puffed along with her friend.

"Mama, what are you doing?" Ceci was staring at her mother and aunt from the doorway.

Linda frowned. "Honey, you're supposed to be taking a nap in the care room, where's Miss Sophie?"

The little girl looked downcast, shifting from one foot to the other.

"I woke up, and she was gone. I told Robin I'd find you." She sniffed.

Both women looked at each other, knowing this was not a normal situation.

"You're a good girl, Ceci. Come on, we'll go find her." Laurie helped Linda up, then Ceci took her mother's hand as they retraced her steps to the child care room.

Laurie gasped as she saw the young Navajo girl who was in charge of the children, being shaken by a dark-haired man in the middle of the corridor. "What do you mean, you won't go with me?" he yelled.

"Linda, take Ceci and get the Chief." She whispered, then called out, "What do you think you're doing?"

Startled, the man turned, and Laurie recognized him as Lance, a former student in one of her classes.

"Mrs. Simon, I…."

"Save it, Lance." Laurie was angered by the dark marks on Sophie's arm. "Sophie, please go back to the day care room. I want to have a word with your friend."

Jerking her arm loose, the young girl disappeared around the corner as an embarrassed expression crossed the student's face.

"Ma'am, it's not what you think. I just lost my temper with…" he began, only for Laurie to hold up her hand.

"There is and never will be any excuse for what I just saw." She told him tersely. "What right do you have to grab another person and shake them like that?"

"Mrs. Simon, I'm sorry. When Soph told me she wouldn't leave work early to go out with me, after I changed my work schedule and all…" Lance replied defensively, then was silent as Laurie shook her head.

"Then you walk away. You do not put your hands on another's person or abuse them because they aren't doing what you want." Laurie felt herself shaking, and took a deep breath.

Footsteps sounded down the hall, then a stern Chief Joseph appeared.

"Light, I understand Sophie was upset by this young man." Laurie smiled with relief at the sight of the older man.

"Yes Chief, I think he needs to hear from you about his mistake. I'll leave you two to talk." She answered gratefully, then left the Chief to handle the situation.

As she came into the center's children's room, Laurie saw Ceci and Robin happily showing their mother a picture they had drawn. Not wanting to spoil their mood, she made herself calm down.

"You two are so talented, wait until your daddy sees this." Linda smiled, then hugged her children as Laurie added, "I think that art work will make the refrigerator hall of fame."

"Oh, no, Auntie." Ceci shook her head gravely. "This is for Daddy's office, he told Mommy he wanted something nice to look at after looking at Uncle Rick all day."

As the two women tried not to laugh, Chief Joseph put his head in the doorway. "Linda, A.J. is on the phone."

"Thank you, Chief." The younger woman sighed, then accepted a hand up as Laurie said "I'll get our artists ready to go, sis."

As Laurie led her niece and nephew out to the lobby, Linda met them at the door, a forced smile on her face. "I'll have to pass on lunch, sis. A.J. wants me to meet him at home."

Guessing that something was up, Laurie nodded. "Okay, let me take you home, Linda. Rick can bring your car back tomorrow."

On the drive back to Phoenix, Linda waited until both children fell asleep, then quietly told Laurie, "A.J.'s upset, he was selected for a big murder case. When he said it would be a hardship to serve, both the prosecutor and the defense refused to dismiss him. He feels so bad, sis. I know he did his best to get out of it."

"I'm sorry, honey. That is just not right, but I guess not enough people want to serve on these cases, so the courts don't want to let go guys like A.J., who'll really want to do a good job." She responded sympathetically. "I don't think Rick's too happy about A.J. being singled out, though."

"That's it! A.J., I'm going to speak to Mason's office. Mandatory or no mandatory, if you don't want to do this, they shouldn't be able to make you!"

A.J. gave his ranting brother a half-smile as he watched him pace the office floor. "Calm down, Rick. I did get them to let me out if Linda goes into labor. I already spoke with her, she's okay with it."

Rick stopped in mid-stride, then let out a deep breath…."A.J…."

"Thanks for getting so worked up for me, but it won't help to keep getting upset. I just wish Allen hadn't been so honest about all the things that could go wrong, with Linda's age and all." A.J. felt rather then saw Rick's hand on his shoulder.

"Linda's going to be fine, little brother. we'll all see to that. Now let's get you home, otherwise you'll have a worried wife who'll be after me!"

A.J. laughed in spite of himself. "Now that would be worth the price of admission!"

"All rise."

A.J. stood with the rest of the panel as Judge Mason came out to the bench. The jurist scanned the two rows of jurors, then nodded.

"Be seated."

Stiffeling a grin, Rick sat down in his place with the spectators. He'd had a hunch his fellow Marine would be presiding, but what was his interest in the case besides making sure competent people were on the jury?

Halfway through the morning, A.J. realized something was wrong.

The prosecutor had made his case against the defendant, Tony Gibbs, who was accused of beating to death a man who had assaulted his sister. Everything pointed to his guilt, even his nervousness on being interviewed. He admitted to the police that he had slugged the dead man, then claimed to have passed out.

A.J. just couldn't put his finger on it: was it his attorney, an ex-football player and local star named Donald Harmon, whose focus seemed to be more on explaining the client's actions then proving his innocence? A.J. listened closely as the attorney cross-examined a witness who had testified how many drinks the accused had before stumbling home. He seemed to be nonchalant about the line of questioning, as if just biding his time.

Maybe it was the defendant's sister, Katherine Gibbs, on the stand as a hostile witness for the prosecution.

"Ms. Gibbs, what happened between you and the deceased.?"

At that moment A.J. caught what almost seemed to be a sign from the defense attorney to the witness, who then started sniffing into a handkerchief.

"Jerrod and I had been seeing each other for a while, and he was nice enough, except when he drank. He'd come over to have dinner, but I could tell he'd had a couple of drinks. I told him I didn't want him around me like that, so he started to go, then he, he, .."

The woman broke down, sobbing into her handkerchief.

Judge Mason waited a moment, then calmly asked, "Ms. Gibbs, can you control yourself long enough to continue, or do we need to have a break."

The witness raised her head in astonishment, evidently expecting sympathy, then cleared her throat.

"No, your Honor."

"Good. Please answer the question." The jurist sat back, as Katherine Gibbs stole a look at the defense attorney before continuing.

"Jerrod went towards the door, then when I turned to go upstairs, he came at me and grabbed me, kissing and putting his arms around me. I yelled at him to stop, then he hit me. That's when Tony, " she nodded at her brother, "came running in. He saw Jerrod, then me, then he shouted, "What did you do to her?"

"Then what happened?"

"Jerrod laughed at him, said I was spoiled and I needed a real man to put me in my place. Then he hit me again, and Tony …grabbed him. I fell to the floor, then when I looked up Jerrod had Tony in a headlock, so I screamed for him to stop, then I got up and ran to the phone. I…heard the sound of fists, then something hitting the floor, loud. I came back into the room, and …Jerrod was on the floor, dead."

At that the sound of sobbing erupted in the gallery, and Judge Mason immediately gaveled for quiet.

"Order, balliff, please see that Mrs. Wright is escorted out."

The judge then turned to the jury.

"We need to take a break, ladies and gentlemen, so you are excused until 2pm this afternoon. Lunch will be provided in the break room, also there are payphones for your convenience."

As his fellow jurors exited the courtroom, Rick fell into step with his brother.

"So, what do you think?" A.J. looked at him, then shook his head.

"Something's not right, I don't believe Jarrod Wright's death was accidental."

Rick sighed. "Me, too. But we can't do much about it, with you on the panel and all. What I will do is poke around, then if I see something, we'll bring it to the Judge."

"In the meantime, " A.J. smiled at his big brother. "Let's have lunch, I smell one of Robin's subs!"

Rick produced a bag from behind his back. "You're getting good, little brother." He laughed.


	3. Chapter 2

"Mrs. Wright, what kind of relationship did your son have with the defendant?"

The dead man's mother stared down Donald Harmon, then answered crisply, "They used to be friends, until Katherine started dating Jarrod. Then every day Jarrod would get a call from Tony, asking where he was taking his sister, why he hadn't taken her to this place or that. Finally Jarrod had it; he was going over to break it off with Katherine. The next thing I know.my son is dead, and his best friend is in jail."

At that point A.J. saw the Judge lean forward as if wanting to say something, then the defense attorney nodded. "That will be all, Mrs. Wright. Thank you."

The woman turned and inclined her head at the judge, then allowed the bailiff to help her off the stand.

Judge Mason looked at the prosecutor. "Do you have any further witnesses to call, Mr. Lopez?

"No, your Honor. The prosecution rests."

He glanced at the defense attorney, and A.J. could almost swear the jurist was glaring at Harmon.

"In view of the hour, we will start court at 9 am tomorrow with your first witness, Mr. Harmon. Court is adjourned."

As the gavel came down, A.J. saw Tony Gibbs walk past his sister, then pause and…wink.

Not believing what he saw, the younger Simon made his way out of the jury box. He watched as Katherine Gibbs smiled back at her brother, before hurrying out of the room flanked by reporters.

"Ready to go home, A.J.?"

Rick was leaning against a column in the corridor, and A.J. gratefully smiled.

"Yeah, remind me never to complain about sermons in church again! Father Capa might be long-winded, but Lopez…."

"Yeah, I was ready to start snoring until I got an evil look from Nixon over by the door, I told him he was just jealous 'cause I was sitting and he wasn't." Rick smirked.

As they drove to A.J.'s condo, Rick sensed something was bothering A.J..

"Okay, spill it, little brother. What's up."

"Just a feeling, Rick. I think Judge Mason's involved somehow with the Wright family. He's very wound up about this case, and the way he acted when Gibbs' sister put the crying act on yesterday, something's up."

Rick frowned. "You think that might be why he was so adamant about…nah. Mason's too professional to get involved in a case."

"I don't know, but maybe you could talk to Ron…" A.J. caught himself, then shook his head as he heard his brother's snicker.

"A.J., for a guy who didn't want to serve on a jury, you seem to care an awful lot."

"I guess, old habits die hard." He sighed, then felt Rick's hand on his shoulder as they pulled up in front of A.J.'s.

"No, just an honest man wanting to see justice. I'm proud of you."

The brothers looked at each other, then A.J. hugged Rick.

"Thanks, and thanks for looking out for me. I know sitting and listening to the bore is above and beyond."

"I know, that's why next time Mom makes chicken, I get the last drumstick!" Rick chuckled.

As the two Simons parked Rick's truck, Linda opened the door, a puzzled look on her face.

"A.J." she reached for him and he hugged her carefully, seeing her wincing.

"Linny, how do you feel?"

"Ready to have our baby, honey. I'm so glad Laurie was here, she's insisted on doing everything. I have enough trouble just getting out of my chair." His wife smiled faintly, then kissed Rick on the cheek.

"Rick, thanks for going with him. I just had a call for you from Judge Mason, he wanted you to call him. Isn't he on A.J.'s trial?"

"Yeah, that's weird." He looked at A.J., who shrugged.

Just then three voices sounded in the hallway, then Ricky, Ceci and a very excited Robin barreled into the living room. "Dad! Daddy! Papa!"

A.J. lit up then pretended to let them tackle him as Laurie followed them then teasingly held out her arms.

"What about me?"

Rick smirked, then grabbed her up in his arms and kissed her.

"Have you been a good girl today?" he asked, wriggling his eyebrows.

"Oh, yes, I've been very good. I think I'm about to be better." She giggled, then cuddled up to him as he sat on the sofa.

Linda laughed "Good, huh! Rick, my sis has been teaching the kids how to cook! To think that when I first met her, all she could make was salsa!"

"Linny, I haven't done that much. All I showed them how to do was a few things, like how to make sandwiches. Ricky's the real star!" she pointed out, then blushed as her nephew bragged,

"Yeah, Auntie Laurie showed me how to make the Simon Special. She wouldn't tell me all the ingredients though, Uncle Rick."

A.J. chuckled. "That's because one of them is very special, son. Speaking of which, while I change, why don't you three set the table for dinner."

As the three children eagerly went to the kitchen, Rick grabbed the extension with one hand while holding his wife with the other.

"Let me see what the old guy wants, darlin', then I'm all yours." He winked as she grinned and put her head against his shoulder.

"Mason here." Rick was surprised at the jurist answering his own phone.

"Uh, Judge, it's Rick Simon, returning your call."

"Oh, yes." Rick heard the closing of a door, then the other man clearing his voice.

"Good of you to call, Simon. I'll make this brief. You've been asking questions around town regarding the Wright case, I'd like to know why."

Rick was dumbfounded; how did the judge know?

"Judge Mason, uh, pardon me for asking, but how did you hear about my asking questions? I just was curious about something, the situation's all wrong." Rick fumbled, cursing himself for being in awe of the man.

"I have my ways, I want to ask a favor, Rick." Mason sounded about as unsure as Rick had been.

"I have my doubts about this case, but it would be a conflict of interest if I was to become involved. You technically are in the clear as far as finding out information, and I don't think anyone will suspect you looking for clues."

Rick frowned. "What if I find out hard proof, either way."

"Then you let me know, and we'll end your search. I'm willing to pay your standard fee." The older man said.

"All right, sir. But only if we find hard proof." Rick let out a breath.

"Fair enough, Simon. I'll meet with you before court in my office. 8:30 AM. Sharp." The judge wished him a good evening, then ended the call.

Rick hung up the phone, then glanced at his wife's face. He could see the concern in her eyes.

"Rick, Judge Mason wants to hire you?"

"Yeah, he doesn't feel right about this case, still, there's something missing from all this…." He muttered, then relaxed as a kiss landed on his ear.

"Then you need to help him. I wonder….didn't you and A.J. say he was very deferential to Mrs. Wright, the dead man's mother?" Laurie asked, turning and starting to knead the tension from Rick's neck and shoulders.

"That's right." Rick sighed as she touched a sore spot, then he chuckled as she started kissing each spot she worked on.

"Sweetheart….I won't be able to concentrate if you, oh, that's good….." he stopped talking as her lips reached his shoulder. "Hmmmm"

"Uncle Rick….dinner's ready!" a voice sang out, and Laurie gave a soft giggle as Rick opened his eyes to see his namesake laughing in the doorway.

"We'll be right there, son." He said, shaking his head at the bad timing. He grasped Laurie's hands in his, and kissed them, then pulled her face to his and dipped his mouth into hers.

"After dinner, love." She gasped, embracing his neck, as Rick stood up then set her on her feet.

"Promise?"

"Promise, darling." She whispered, then took his hand as they went to join the others.

The next day Rick got their friend Ron Johnson to let him look at pictures of the crime scene. As he saw the photos of the body, then of the defendant in custody, he saw nothing that looked out of place.

"Rick, I don't need to remind you this information stays unofficial, 'kay?" the chief reminded him, as Rick handed them back.

"I never saw anything, pal." He replied, then saw Ron frown.

"Sorry, Rick. It's just since I took over from Branson, everything is under a microscope now. I hate to agree with you, tho'; something just doesn't feel right here. Why would Jarrod Wright turn into an abuser with a couple of drinks, then still expect Gibbs to think hitting the sister was okay?"

"Wait a minute." Rick got a flash of memory, one of the pictures he had seen…..

"Ron, let me see the picture of Wright and the so-called "murder weapon".

As the chief pulled it out of the folder, the older Simon scanned it quickly, then whistled.

"There it is, pal. Look at the marks on the guys' head. Those were not made from his head hitting the floor."

As Ron peered at the photo, he blanched. "My God, Rick, you're right. That's more like a stick or…what's that in the background?"

Both men stared at the picture, then said in unison…."A pool table!"

Ron leaned over to his intercom. "Olson, I need the rest of the file from the Wright case. Do we have the scene investigator's report?"

A moment later the message came back. "Yes, except we're missing the evidence and photo list. It went missing after the file was copied for the defense."

Rick shook his head. "Okay, that sounds weird. We can still see if a cue stick was examined in the report."

As the two men waited to review the paperwork, A.J. listened attentively as the defense attorney made his final summation.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, it's true Tony Gibbs was wrong to strike his sister's assailant. Heck, " he flashed a brief "I know you" smile at the jury, "If my sister was being attacked, I might lose my cool also. But he did not mean to kill his best friend, and I ask that you find him not guilty of all charges. After all, a man should not be condemned for coming to the aid of a loved one, but commended. Thank you."

With a satisfied look pasted on his face, Donald Harmon sat down, rubbing his right hand nervously. Katherine Gibbs was sitting next to him and A.J. realized she was staring at Harmon as if she was worried at his actions. Glancing at the Judge, he saw his eyes narrowed at the defense attorney.

"All right, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I will give you your final instructions tomorrow morning at 10 am. Please be prepared to be here until 4 pm unless otherwise decided." Judge Mason explained after a moment. Acknowledging with a nod the panel, he stood up and quickly left the bench.

As court adjourned, the older man on the left side of A.J. shook his head. "We're going to have a lot of work to do, son. Make sure you get your rest."

A.J. nodded and smiled as the young woman on the other side of him contradicted the other juror.

"I don't think so, it seems pretty cut and dried to me, I'm going to let my boss know I should be in soon." she said decisively. As he watched the other jurors leave, A.J. shook his head.

"God, I hope we find some evidence soon, otherwise somebody's going to walk." He thought worriedly.

As the two brothers met outside of the courthouse to compare notes, Rick noticed the down look on A.J.'s face.

"A.J., is something wrong? Is it Linda?"

Startled, the younger Simon looked at Rick's concerned expression. "No, I don't think so. Oh, boy… I can't believe it. This trial, I've been thinking about it so much, I never even thought today about my family."

Rick steered his brother to his truck, then got in and faced him.

"A.J., that's what you're supposed to do. You won't be good to anyone if you stew about Linda and the baby. Besides, we're talking about a murderer and his accomplice getting away with, well, murder."

"You've got something?" A.J.'s blue eyes lit up as Rick nodded.

"Remember the coroner testified that the fatal blow to Wright was his head hitting the wooden floor? Well, that's not exactly true. Ron had his forensic team take another look at the marks on the guy's head. Guess what delivered the fatal blow?"

A.J. thought back to the courtroom displays, the blown up pictures, then he got it.

"The blunt object wasn't the floor, Rick, it was a stick, a .."

"Pool cue". Both brothers said in unison. A relieved smile covered A.J.'s face.

"And I have an idea who wielded that stick, Rick. Did you know Catherine Gibbs has been watching Harmon like a hawk, like she's afraid he's going to make a mistake?"

Rick cocked his head, then replied archly, "Did you know Catherine Gibbs was dating Donald Harmon before she took up with Jerrod Wright, and if her brother is convicted, she gets control of the family business?"

The two men broke into grins, then Rick put the truck in gear.

"Ron's going to chase down one more piece of evidence, then he's going before the District Attorney before court tomorrow. In the meantime, let's go let your wife know tomorrow it's a done deal!"

Pulling up to their condo, A.J. beamed as his oldest son opened the front door, then hollered, "Mom, Auntie Laurie, they're home!"

As the relieved Simons relaxed after dinner, the phone rang, and Rick picked it up, seeing a familiar number on the display.

"Judge Mason."

"Mr. Simon." There was an edge to the man's voice. Rick picked up the extension and went into his brother's study, motioning A.J. to join him.

"I have some news for you, Sir. Barring any problems, I believe we have reason to believe the wrong man was put on trial." Rick tried not to sound too pleased with himself.

"I know that, Simon. But I thought you were working for me… instead of the police." Now the judge sounded definitely irked.

Rick was dumbfounded. "Judge, Chief Johnson and I discovered the evidence together. I needed to look at the crime scene photos myself, and he was able to pull some missing information to prove Tony Gibbs wasn't the killer."

There was silence on the other line, then a sigh.

"I apologize. I didn't think that information was going to be that crucial….."

At once Rick knew. The Judge was the one responsible for the unaccounted for evidence and photo lists.

But why?

"Sir, uh, maybe you'd like to explain?" he managed, then signaled his brother to hit the speaker.

Puzzled, he sat down as the Judge said, "I guess it's time to come clean. I'll have to excuse myself from the trial of course. But I couldn't carry on and watch my grandson's killer get away with his murder."

"Jarrod Wright was your grandson?" A.J. stared at Rick.


	4. Chapter 3

"Yes, his mother was my daughter from my first marriage. Sabina and I…. we only connected in the last year and she felt it was almost time for Jarrod to know about me, but now." Mason cleared his throat.

Rick almost felt sorry for the older man. Almost. What had he gotten them into?

"You wanted to find out the truth so bad you had A.J. scheduled for Jury Duty, even though he should have been excused, didn't you."

"Yes, Rick. I'm sorry about that. If I'd been thinking clearly, but I had no idea Mrs. Simon was having problems. I understand you and your wife have even had to move in with your brother's family." Rick's anger was tempered by fear now. How did all this information about their family get out?

"Well, it's too late for your sympathy now, what we have to do is make sure the killer doesn't get away with it. Chief Johnson's going to the DA in the morning, so this should all be settled tomorrow. In the meantime, how did you know about Laurie and I being at my brother's?"

Judge Mason's tone was grave. "I saw Harmon follow you and your brother the other night. It made me nervous, so I did some checking of my own. I don't mean to alarm you, Rick, but I'd vary my routine tomorrow. If you and Ron Johnson are taking him and Ms. Gibbs down tomorrow, I'll have extra security lined up."

Reluctantly, Rick thanked the man. "I appreciate it, Judge. By the way, when did you figure out Harmon was trying to frame Tony Gibbs?"

"The first day of court, when I wondered about Harmon's nonchalant treatment of the prosecution witnesses. I had the evidence file pulled, but once I saw the crime scene photos, it all clicked." The jurist sounded almost smug.

"Well, thanks for verifying we were on the right track. Good night, your Honor. We'll be ready to go in the morning." Rick answered, then heard the contrite tone from the Judge again.

"Good night, Rick, and …thanks for all you've done to bring my grandson some closure."

As he disconnected the call and turned off the speaker, Rick saw the contemplative look on A.J.'s face.

"Talk about bombshells…."

A knock on the door interrupted them. "A.J.?"

"Come in, Linny." Her husband responded, then saw Linda had Ceci in hand.

"It's bedtime, she and Robin want a story, honey."

Rick felt bad when he realized his brother's children hadn't seen much of their father the past week.

"Sure, Linda. I didn't realize the time." A.J. got up, then hoisted a giggling Ceci in his arms.

"Time for Mommy and Daddy story time, I've got a good one tonight." He teased, laying a kiss on his wife's cheek as he carried his daughter to her room.

Rick got a lump in his throat, then felt two arms wrap themselves around his shoulders.

"Sweetheart, just when I need you…." He sighed, then turned in her embrace and saw Laurie's tender expression.

"Always, Rick,." She whispered, then she opened her mouth to his as he kissed her hungrily.

Releasing her lips, Rick caressed her face. "Darlin', A.J. and I hope to be home early tomorrow, but…if anything happens, call me on your way to the hospital. We'll be there within 10 minutes."

"Rick, is this something to do with your investigating the Wright case?" Laurie asked, then shook her head as Rick explained the revelations he and Ron had uncovered, as well as the Judge's.

"Oh, Rick, no. You don't think Donald Harmon or the Gibbs woman would try to hurt you or A.J., do you?" she asked, snuggling against his chest.

"No, I don't think so, angel." He kissed her cheek. "They'll probably don't have a clue we've found evidence against them."

As Rick and A.J. left for court in the morning, neither brother was happy about the day's work ahead of them. The only thing Rick could console himself with was that Rudy was coming by in the morning for Linda's check up.

"Remember, Laurie, you and sis do not open the door to anyone except us or Ron's men." Rick gave a last minute kiss to his wife.

"I promise, darling." Laurie kissed him back, then watched A.J. gently hugging his wife.

The morning's trip into town was uneventful, and as the two of them entered the building, Rick saw the extra security patrol the Judge had promised.

Scarcely had the jury filed into the packed courtroom then Mr. Lopez stood up and waited for the judge to come in.

"Your Honor, I move all charges against Tony Gibbs be dismissed."

A brief smile crossed the older man's lips, then he gaveled for order as surprise sounded around the room.

"The motion is accepted. Mr. Lopez, do you wish to reveal why the charges should be dismissed."

As the DA started to lay out the discrepancies in the evidence, the loss of important back up, etc, Rudy Wells had just finished his examination of his former nurse when Linda gave out a startled groan.

"Honey? What is it?" Rudy helped her to sit as Laurie opened his bag for him.

"I've got pain, Rudy, feels like someone hit me in the stomach." Linda gasped, perspiring.

"Time for this baby to make its entrance." Rudy smiled. "Let's get you to the hospital!"

Calling Cecilia to let her know that her daughter-in-law was in labor, Laurie was relieved when she said she would stay with the children. "Just until the baby is born, then I'll bring them to the hospital.

"Thank Mom for me, sis, I'll see her when we …..ohhhh!" Linda had another contraction, then Rudy helped her to the car, with Laurie carrying her suitcase and coat.

"So, when Mr. Gibbs passed out, you, Mr. Harmon," the D.A. continued, "took a pool stick and hit Jarrod Wright not once, but twice. You fractured his skull then slammed his head against the floor. As he lay there, bleeding, you put the pool cue in the book shelves so it wouldn't be examined for evidence."

A stunned look crossed Donald Harmon's face, " You don't have any proof I killed Jarrod. Where are the fingerprints, and motive, I have no reason to kill him."

"You do, you and Ms. Gibbs decided to frame her brother so she'd have control of their business. Plus, Ms. Gibbs, you would do anything to get your revenge on the two men you could not control; Jarrod Wright and your brother…." Lopez was interrupted by Katherine Gibbs standing and shouting at him.

"No, you ruined everything! I was almost free of my brother, I was ready to take over the business, but I didn't kill Jarrod, Donald killed him."

Suddenly Harmon bolted from the room, and sheriff's deputies, caught off guard, ran in pursuit of the lawyer.

"Rick!"

Rick heard his wife's "call", then jumped up as he heard her say "Linda's in hard labor, we're on our way to the hospital! Please hurry!"

Quickly he signaled his brother, who had been watching Katherine Gibbs being taken away in handcuffs.

The Judge saw Rick's effort to catch his brother's attention, then gaveled the session to a close and dismissed the jury. At once A.J. got up and followed Rick out the door.

As they got outside, Ron Johnson came into the lobby, then stopped at seeing A.J. and Rick.

"Everything wrapped up with…whoa, where are you guys going?"

"Linda's in labor, Ron, and she's having problems, we have to get A.J. there now!" Rick explained hurriedly.

A.J. let out a breath in gratitude as the chief told them "Come with me, I'll fly you to the hospital!"

"Go, A.J., I'll follow you in the truck, I'll let Laurie know you're on your way!" Rick shooed him off as Ron radioed headquarters.

"Thanks, Rick!" A.J. grabbed his arm, then took off.


	5. Chapter 4

"Push now, sis, push now!"

Linda Simon screamed with pain and frustration, "Aahhhhhhhhh! Laurie, make it stop,

I 'm not doing this without him!"

Panting, she fell back against the pillows as Rudy tried to calm her. "Linda, you're doing fine, you can do this. A.J. will be here when he can, just…"

"No!" Linda yelled, glaring at her concerned friends. "He's…. supposed…..to be….here! I don't ….care about this jury business. I ….want him….here….NOW!"

At once Laurie grabbed her hand tightly. "Listen to me Linda, and listen good! You have every right to expect A.J. to be here. Do you hear me, every right!"

Simmering down, the younger woman stared at her as her sister-in-law added, "He's ungrateful, and foolish and his loyalties are …..wrong, if he thinks being in court is better then being with you and your child…You need to think of yourself right now.."

"Stop it, you take that back!" Linda suddenly jerked at her hand in Laurie's. "How dare you bad mouth A.J.! He's only doing what he thinks is right, he's always been there for me and the kids, he's not…." Abruptly she realized what her friend had done, then started to cry as another contraction hit.

"Oh, Laurie…I want him so…."she gulped, then wept as Laurie comforted her gently.

"I know, I know, Sis. I was just trying to get you to remember how A.J.'s always, always been here for you. And he'll get here when he can, I promise."

"Please, Rick, get A.J. here now!" she thought desperately.

Suddenly his "voice" came to her, "Laurie, A.J.'s coming, just take care of Linda. Let her know…"

Turning to her sister-in-law, she smiled as she told her, "Rick just called to me, honey. A.J.'s on his way, so you can stop worrying."

Linda smiled through her tears, then a contraction hit, causing her to cry out, "AHHHHH!"

"Sis, hang on, just breathe, remember your breathing, let's puff!" Laurie tried not to panic, then Rudy narrowed his eyes as he got a new blood pressure read.

"Linda, look at Laurie. Use her as a focus point, I need you to relax between pushes."

While she listened, A.J. ran up the stairs leading to the courthouse roof. As he followed after Ron, he wasn't able to think of anything else but the ordeal his wife was going through without him.

Just then the helicopter landed and he followed his friend out to the helipad.

"Okay Chief, it's all yours." The pilot handed the craft over to Ron, who thanked him then helped A.J. climb in and buckle up.

"You okay, buddy?" the detective glanced over at his friend.

"I'd feel better if I could talk to Linny. Rick said she was having problems." A.J. answered, then thought of his transmitter.

"Ron, can I use my transmitter in the copter?" he asked, then smiled when the chief of detectives nodded.

"Try it!"

A.J. waited until they cleared the building, then hit his send button and called, "Laurie, it's A.J., can you hear me?"

After a moment, his sister-in-law's voice came back. "A.J., where are you? Linda's in labor!"

"I'm on my way, Ron's flying me in, I'll be landing in a minute or so! Tell my Linny I'll be there, I love her!" he managed, his heart in his throat.

There was static, then his wife's voice. "A.J., I love you too, please hurry!" she answered, her voice racked with pain.

"I'll be there, honey!" he replied, then stared ahead, looking for the roof of the hospital.

As it came into view, Ron radioed for permission to land, then told A.J. "I'll drop you off, then come back with Abby."

Moments later, A.J. rushed into the maternity ward, then saw Dr. Allen beckon him into a room.

As he ran in, Laurie stood up and gave him a quick hug, then he sat down and took his wife's hand.

Linda's face lit up "I knew you'd make it!"

A.J. wiped her face with his free hand, "I'm here, honey, we can do this!" he choked, overcome with emotions.

Rudy grinned at husband and wife. "Okay, you two, now push!"

Minutes later Rick rushed in the emergency room doors, then headed for the maternity ward. As he searched for the birthing rooms, he caught sight of his wife, slumped down in a chair.

Alarmed, he called out, "Laurie!"

Rick saw her raise her face then tearfully reach her arms out to him. Instantly he stumbled to her side, picking her up to comfort her.

"I'm here, darlin', it's all right. Is Linda…..?"

"She was in such pain, Rick, Rudy was so worried how much blood she was losing, then A.J. got here, I think she's going to be okay, just…." Laurie was interrupted by the sound of a wail.

"Sweetheart, listen…." Rick held her tightly for several moments, then they both smiled when Rudy came out, beaming.

"Congratulations, Uncle and Aunt, it's a little girl!"

"Rudy, that's great, is she okay, I mean, how's Linda?" the older Simon asked, fishing for his handkerchief.

"She's going to need some extra care with this one, but I think she'll be fine. Daddy's the one who's a nervous wreck!" their friend joked, as Rick blotted his wife's eyes, then his own.

"Oh, Rudy, thank you!" Laurie hugged him, then Rick helped her up and the three of them went into the room to find their new niece in A.J.'s arms.

"Hey, guys." He smiled, sitting carefully next to a groggy Linda, who looked up at Rick then mouthed "thank you".

Concerned about her paleness, Rick leaned over and kissed her cheek, then saw the little pink face his brother was cooing over.

"Hey little one, you gave your Mommy and Daddy a time now." He whispered.

A.J. cleared his throat. "Yeah, Melly was very loud coming out, but I think she's settling down now."

Suddenly the little girl screwed up her face, then let out a wail. Instantly Linda's face brightened, then she held out her arms.

"Honey, let me have her, I think she's hungry."

A.J. gazed at his wife, fear in his eyes. "Are you sure, Linny? You're still recovering….."

"I feel better every moment, A.J.." Linda put her hand to his face, then A.J. put his lips to her fingers.

"Thank you, love." He handed the baby to her, then it was Rick's turn to clear his throat.

"Melly?"

"Yes, she's Melinda Jackson, I thought having the name of her mother and, Dad, would be good." A.J. sniffed, then Rick gave him a hug.

"That's good, little brother. Now we're going to let you two alone. Mom should be here any second."

"Okay, you take Sis to get some rest." Linda told him emphatically, then leaned up for a hug from Laurie.

"Thanks, honey, I couldn't have done it without you."

"Oh, Linny, you did all the work." Laurie wiped her eyes, then dropped a kiss on her head. "We'll be back later."

As they stepped into the corridor, Rudy followed Rick and Laurie out, then put a hand on Rick's shoulder.

"Good work, son. Linda would have had an even worse time if you hadn't gotten A.J. here in time."

"How is she doing, Laurie said she lost a lot of blood?" Rick asked their friend.

"Linda's pressure was up, consequently she had a small rupture in a blood vessel, but she's stable now. I think she'll be able to go home in a few days." Rudy assured him.

Within a few moments, Cecilia Simon rushed in, frantic with worry. "Rick, are they all right? Linda and the baby?"

Beaming, her oldest son hugged her. "She's just fine, Mom. And wait until you see your granddaughter, almost as pretty as her mom!"

As Cecilia squeezed Laurie's hand and went into Linda's room, Rick let out a sigh of relief.

"Sweetheart, I think I need a drink."

"You need a rest, too, darling." His wife replied, putting her arms around his neck and drawing him to her.

Holding each other for a long moment, Rick closed his eyes, letting the tension of the morning go.

"Rick."

"Hmmm?"

"Why don't we go home, where I can fix you a drink, and you and I can rest together."

Rick opened his eyes, seeing his Laurie's weary face, then dropped a kiss on her lips. "Yes, sweetheart."

"Okay, you two, go home."

Rudy stuck his face out of the hospital room, then grinned as Rick winked and put an arm around Laurie.

"I always obey my doctor's orders. And my wife's."


	6. Chapter 5

"You mean he's skipped town?"

A.J. was alarmed as Chief Johnson nodded angrily.

"One of the bailiffs apparently looked the other way when Harmon slipped out of the courthouse at his bail hearing. Unfortunately his car was found at the airport, but we don't think he left the country, more likely he went to his family in Louisiana."

"Well, he resigned."

Both men turned as Rick came out of the courthouse, a disappointed look on his face.

"He had no choice, Rick. He had a clear conflict of interest and withheld crime scene evidence." Ron huffed, then walked quickly to his patrol car.

"Hey, I know Mason did wrong, but at least he took responsibility. Look at the Gibbs family, you'd think that woman was an innocent victim…" Rick growled.

Ron stopped, then reluctantly agreed. "You're right, I just hate to see a good man go down like the Judge. After everything blows over, I hope he'll go into teaching or something."

Rick's expression relaxed. "Oh, he'd make a great teacher, he'll scare the crap out of any attorney that gives him a problem."

As the others laughed, A.J. noticed the time. "Speaking of problems, we're going to have one if we don't get going. We need to meet up with Laurie and take Linda and Melly home from the hospital."

Ron snickered. "Now that would be a problem, I was late two minutes picking Abby up from her parent-teacher conference yesterday and you'd think I'd forgotten her birthday or something."

Rick glanced up sharply. "You almost did, isn't it tomorrow?"

The chief inhaled sharply. "Yeah, you saved my life again, Rick. I'll call you guys!" he said, climbing into his car and screeching out of the parking lot.

"Poor Abbs, December birthday's are a bummer." Rick remarked, unlocking his truck and motioning his brother into the front seat.

"Don't mention that to Linda, we'll have to think up something for Melly so she doesn't get cheated for Christmas when she's older." A.J. replied, already picturing his little girl's future.

"A.J., I wouldn't worry, not with our family!" Rick smirked, then pulled into the hospital loading zone.

"Go on ahead, I'll meet you inside."

As he pulled into the short term parking lot, he suddenly heard a "cry" from Laurie.

"Rick! Don't let A.J. come in the room; Harmon's here, and he has a gun."

Rick blanched at his wife's warning, then leaped from his truck and ran after his brother. Grabbing at him just as he got in the elevator, Rick told him, "There's trouble, Donald Harmon is in Linda's room, Laurie says he has a gun."

"Rick, no! Are they all right?" A.J. turned pale as Rick "asked" Laurie, "Sweetheart, are you and Linda all right? Where's Melly?"

"The nurse took her for a final weigh in, Harmon slipped in just after she left. Linda's all right, but he made me tie her hands. Oh hurry, darling, he's putting me in the closet, he's going to wait for A.J. and kill him!" she said.

Now it was Rick's turn to panic. "Laurie, I'm coming. Just hold on, my angel."

As the elevator doors opened on the 3rd floor, he told A.J. about Harmon's actions. "I have an idea of how to get in there without Harmon's hurting either of them, but we need to tell Allen about this and call Ron."

"Rick, this is my fault. I shouldn't have messed with these guys." A.J. was upset, then his brother grabbed him by the arm.

"No, A.J.. This is not your fault, you did the right thing. You and I, we went after this together, remember?"

Rick stared into A.J.'s face until he nodded, then sighed. "Yeah, but…"

"But nothing, little brother. This jerk is not going to hurt Linda or my girl, come on!"

A few minutes later Rick adjusted his doctor's mask and scrubs, then headed down the corridor. Coming to his sister-in-law's room, he "told " Laurie "I'm coming in now, sweetheart. I'll have you safe in a moment."

He felt her respond with an "I love you", then he knocked on the door. "Mrs. Simon, It's Dr. Allen."

He paused to give his brother a moment, then he opened the door to see Linda, pale but calm and Harmon standing next to her. The lawyer's face was the picture of charm, and Rick had to steel himself not to immediately shoot the bastard.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Simon. I didn't know you had a visitor, Mr. …." He spoke calmly.

"Harmon, Donald Harmon, Doctor. It's nice to meet you." He held out his left hand, and Rick noticed he kept his right hand in his pocket. He stole a look at Linda, then saw her eyes light up. "A.J. must be in view." He realized.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Harmon. You're an attorney….aren't you?" Rick made nice as he shook the murderer's hand.

The man practically preened himself. "Yes, doctor, you've heard of me?"

"Yes, and I was wondering what your fees were for assault cases?" Rick said.

Harmon frowned. "What kind of assault case, doctor?"

"Oh, this kind." With that, Rick hauled off and cold cocked the man, driving him to the floor. As Harmon shook his head then reached in his pocket, A.J. came in the sliding window, yelling "freeze!"

Harmon froze, then looked fearfully at both men as A.J. grated, "I ought to kill you right here for what you've done!" Suddenly the room was still except for the sound of the younger Simon drawing back the hammer on his weapon. Rick looked at his brother.

"A.J., please." Linda spoke up, her voice quavering. Instantly he released the trigger.

"I'll take care of him." Ron Johnson quickly took the gun from A.J. as one of his officers came in and grabbed her assailant and hauled him off as A.J. went to Linda's side.

A.J. freed her wrists then took her in his arms, both of them shaking. Rick went to the closet and opened it to find Laurie on the floor inside, her wrists and ankles bound and a piece of tape across her mouth. She stared up at him, relief in her eyes, and immediately he pulled her to him.

"Laurie." He carefully took the tape off her mouth. "Darlin', are you all right? Did he hurt you?" He gently picked her up then carried her to Linda's bed and tore off the bindings holding her.

"No, Rick. Just frightened me, so much.. He was so cold… Linda…" she managed through dry lips, as she looked to see her friend being comforted by A.J..

"I'm okay, sis. Thank God you were here…." Linda sniffed, then leaned against her husband as Rick held a glass of water to his wife's lips. "Here, sweetheart, drink this."

Gratefully she drank the liquid, then put her head against his chest. "Thank you, darling. That is better." She smiled as he gently rubbed her wrists and arms "Rick, how did you and A.J. get here so fast, I thought you guys were at the courthouse?"

"Rick Andretti here." A.J. grinned at his brother. "He dropped me in the loading zone and was going to meet me inside. All at once he caught up with me at the elevator and told me what was going on."

Linda lifted her head to smile at Rick. "I'll never tease you about being a leadfoot again, Rick. I'm just glad you guys came to get me early."

"Early?" Now it was Rick's turn to be surprised.

"Yes, Rick. Rudy got Linda cleared to leave an hour early, that's why I was here…." Suddenly it hit Laurie what could have happened, and she let out a shuddering breath.

Just then Ron came back into the room, followed by Rudy and Dr. Allen holding baby Melinda.

"Let me check you girls out." Rudy fussed, after greeting the brothers. Patiently Linda shook her head, holding out her arms for her child.

"I'm all right, Rudy. I just need my Melly." She whispered emotionally, then beamed as their friend brought her over. "Here you go, honey. Now let me check on Missy here."

After Rudy cleared both women to go home, Rick insisted on taking Laurie to the car first, anxious to get her home.

"Rick, I'm okay, love." Laurie gazed at him as he carefully buckled her in. Rick looked at his wife, her face just now regaining its color.

At once it all caught up with him, and he pulled her to him, holding her close. "Laurie, I was so worried, when you told me he put you in the closet…." He murmured, his voice cracking.

Hot tears soaked his shirt, as she broke down. "He, made me tape Linda's wrists, then he pushed the covers over her and put me in the closet. I wanted to beg him not to close the door, Rick, I thought I was going to be sick, then he ….laughed and said he might leave me for the janitor to find me one day…."

"No, no, love." He tried to soothe her, then stroked her face. "I will find you anywhere, don't you know, sweetheart? I love you."

He felt the tears stop, then she sniffed as she told him, "I love you, too. When I heard you outside, I stopped being afraid for me, I was scared A.J. or you would get hurt. But you did it, Rick, you saved us both." She stopped as he kissed her wet cheeks, then added quietly, "You made the dark not so scary, my darling."

"No more scary darkness, not with me, angel." He kissed her lips, then heard a muffled giggle as she said, "We have an audience, love."

Looking up, he saw his brother and sister-in-law, baby in hand, pretending to be impatient.

"Uh, sis, don't you and A.J. have something you want to do before you get home?" Rick suggested, straightening up and wiping his eyes.

A.J. grinned back at him, then turned to Linda and planted a kiss on her lips. Surprised, Linda put an arm around him and kissed him back. Laughing, A.J. caught his breath.

"You're right, we're going to be too busy for romance for a while!"

"Says who?" Linda handed Melinda in to be buckled into her car seat, then put her arms around her husband. "Don't worry, I'll make time." She teased.


	7. Epilogue

"Daaaaaaad, Melly's crying again!" Ricky's voice carried to his father's ears as he lay under the sink, trying to fix the faucet.

"Coming, Ricky!" A.J. yelled back, trying not to get frustrated. He'd been working on this leak for two days, and every time he got close to finishing it, Melly woke up. Still, it was worth it to see Linda up and around, finally strong enough to go Christmas shopping with Rick and Laurie. It gave him a chance to spend time with his children.

All his frustrations disappeared when he came in to the nursery and found Ceci gently rocking her sister in her cradle. Ricky and Robin were trying to quietly pick up their toys.

"She's asleep, Daddy, she just wanted to know we were here." She whispered importantly.

"That's a good girl, Ceci." A.J. hugged the little girl, then ruffled his oldest son's hair.

"Son, your sister just figured out something your Mom and I took ages to discover."

"What's that, Dad?" Ricky said quietly, as A.J. shooed his children out of the nursery and left the door ajar.

"None of you have ever liked being alone, you've always been very social. I guess you take after your Aunt." He added.

"You're right, Dad. I know some kids hate having their little brothers and sisters around, but, well, Ceci and Rob aren't a pain, you know?" his tall son admitted.

"Thank you, Ricky." A.J.'s eyes welled up, but he managed to clear his throat. "Now let's surprise your Mom and Uncle Rick and Auntie Laurie with some dinner."

As Rick drove up to the condo, his sides were sore with laughing at the two women in his truck.

"Please, Linda, between you and Laurie….darlin', your dad would spank you if he knew you told me about his falling in the creek and Rudy pulling fish out of his…"

"Never mind, Rick." Laurie wiped her eyes as Linda giggled.

"But Rudy….all he could say was, "Nice catch, Pal."

Rick started laughing again as he parked the truck then came around to open the door for his sister-in-law, only to find two sets of hands trying to do it for him.

"Hey, who's the doorman here?" he teased, hugging Ceci and Robin.

"We are, Uncle Ricky! Mama!" Linda caught her children to her as she came out of the truck.

"Well, looks like I came over just in time!" Cecilia came up the walk and was greeted by her family.

"You're just in time, Mom." A.J. greeted her and the package-laden trio at the door. "Chef Ricky and I just got dinner ready."

"Well then, I guess this might be welcome." Cecilia brought out a foil wrapped dish, then uncovered it to display a pale green dessert.

"Lime Bars, oh, Mom! Bless you!" Laurie got excited and the kids laughed as Ceci told her politely, "I bet Grandma made them just for you, Auntie, but you can share."

"Of course, Ceci." Laurie grinned at her as she put an arm around her mother-in-law. "The best desserts are made to be shared."

As the children hurried to set the table, Cecilia sat on the sofa, then called Laurie to sit with her.

"Honey, I talked to Joe today, he told me something happened at the Cultural Center that upset you."

Laurie nearly missed the sofa as she paused, then Rick took her hand as she sat down. "Laurie?"

"I …forgot all about it with everything that happened with Linda and all, but, one of my former students almost assaulted Sophia, the girl in day care. Linda and I walked in on it, but, I'm okay." Laurie said, unconsciously clutching her husband's hand.

"Darlin'….." Rick pulled her against him as Cecelia shook her head. "Honey, I know it bothered you, but it's okay to remember what happened. I just never thought it would bother you."

Rick looked at both women, at a loss for words, then he remembered.

"_Cecilia, listen to me, you just can't tell Shirley and Herman off like that, and I don't trust them!"_

_He and Laurie were behind the staircase, listening to his dad and mom argue._

"_Rick, let me tell Uncle Jack it's my fault, please." She whispered, then Rick shook his head._

_"No, dad's just upset that Herman threatened Mom. He'll beat that guy up before he'll let him push Mom around."_

_Suddenly both teenagers hushed as Cecilia lowered her voice. "Jack, I won't let that child be jerked around like that. Laurie didn't do anything wrong. If Herman hadn't taken his hand off me, I'd have screamed bloody murder."_

"_Taken his hand off you….Cece, what did he do?" Rick saw his mother start to turn away, then his father gripped her arms and shook her, startling her._

"_Jack, you're hurting me!" she gasped, then as Rick prepared to yell at his dad, his father let go of her arms only to hug her to him. "Cece, I'm sorry, God I'm sorry. I was imagining the worst, and I let my temper get the best of me,…"_

_Rick started to turn back to Laurie, only to see her vanish out the door._

"Mom, Dad apologized, I never saw him get angry like that again." Rick said, then put an arm around Laurie as his mother nodded. "That's something you did get from your dad, both your temper, and the understanding that you need to listen before going off."

Cecilia leaned forward, taking Laurie's hand.

"Honey, I'm sorry you didn't see your Uncle Jack apologize. He was frightened that I might be hurt by your …well, by your guardians. He didn't know you were there, otherwise he might have thought before he spoke."

Laurie let out a deep breath, then reached over and hugged Cecilia. "I love you, Mom. Thank you for understanding, and for reminding me how much I loved him."

Rick wiped his eyes unashamedly, then found Laurie had her arms around his neck.

"And for having this wonderful man for me to love." She added, kissing his cheek.

"Well, if I'm going to get all this appreciation…" Rick smirked, kissing his wife back.

"Okay, folks, dinner is served!" Ricky stood in the doorway, and Rick gave a hand up to the two favorite women in his life. As his mother went ahead of them, Rick wrapped his arms around Laurie again.

"I want to carry you off to our castle, Princess, but dinner awaits." he whispered.

"I'd rather have dinner right here." Laurie blushed at the look in Rick's eyes, then nestled her head against him. "I promise, we'll go home for dessert."

"Come on you two, dinner's in here!" Laurie giggled at A.J.'s catcall. As he took her arm to walk her into the dining room, Rick chuckled. "Dessert's my favorite part of dinner, anyway, darlin'!"

Fin


End file.
